A Cursed Heritage
by Talandara
Summary: A young Garou has his former life taken from him after his first change. He gets sent off to a monastery but his troubles only start there.


Disclaimer: Please note that the Garou, the tribes, names of the forms of the werewolves, the World of Darkness are copywrited to White Wolf Studios an their inclusion in this story is in no way a challenge to their ownership.. Characters within the story are copywrited to me.  
  
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It was the beginning of spring when it happened, May 1st 1982. Everyone had died that day. Or at least half my class did at any rate. I don't really recall what happened; only, one second I was being picked on and the next I was covered in blood, naked and in the street. But I'm starting to get ahead of myself here.  
  
My name is Matthew Cho and I'm of Chinese decent. My grand-parents moved here from China while my parents were young and we've lived in Vancouver ever since. It was a rotten place but I suppose it was home. I didn't like it there and there were always strange things going on at night. I'd occasionally hear howls and then on the news I hear about a killing where the victim was drained of blood. No one really knew what was going on, some people even said there were vampires about but I know that's not true.  
  
It was a Friday, almost 2:30 pm and I was sitting in my class minding my own business, doing my work like any normal student should. Of course I was being picked on again; I couldn't help it when a well of anger swelled deep inside me but I somehow kept it contained. Then the P.A. beeped and I nearly jumped out of my skin.  
  
"Attention students. Please remain in your classrooms after school for a further announcement. Investigations are under way and the officers have asked us to remain in the school for at least two hours after three o' clock. Thank-you and have a great day."  
  
Great day my foot... I knew this would end badly because a lot of the more gruff students in my class groaned and then sat on their desks. I resumed my math work, working out the answer and taking my time, not in any rush seeing as I had no life to speak of. I never went out much and I'd hole myself up in my room after school to play on my computer. It was about 4 o' clock when the "badass" students became rowdy and started throwing paper at me. I ignored it at first but when the eraser struck me is when everything became red before I blacked out.  
  
I don't know how long I was out but when I awoke I was covered in blood and had the taste of it in my mouth. I was in an alley way now that I recall, not a street, and there was no one around. It was past sunset and I could hear sirens all around.  
  
As luck would have it there was a rain barrel nearby so I washed all the blood off in the cold water and stumbled out into the street. I read the nearest sign, found my bearings and headed home which was on the west side of the city. I was on the edge of East Hastings in Vancouver and that place scared the crap out of me.  
  
It took me about an hour to get home, and when I did no one was awake. That was one thing I was grateful for and I made my way to my room. I slipped under the covers on my bed and went to sleep. My dreams were troubled, and horrifying, bloody and gruesome which made me wake in a cold sweat. The sun was streaming through my blinds so I decided to get up and see if anyone else was awake.  
  
The radio was on when I got upstairs and there was a report on a killing at my school. 15 students died in a brutal attack by an animal. There were a couple witnesses, but they only said it was a bear. They listed off the students' names and all of them I recognized. My father set his spoon down and sat back in his chair. He gave me a fatherly smile.  
  
"How was your day yesterday, Matt?" He asked, trying to strike up friendly conversation.  
  
"It was okay. Just the usual, I mind my own business, people pick on me. Nothing different." I didn't look up from my cereal, in my mind, piecing together that it might have been me that killed those students. It didn't seem realistic to me, but I did black out and wake up with blood on me.  
  
"Matt, you've got to do something about the teasing. It has to be stopped or you're going to snap. I don't want to see my son become a mass murderer because of some jerks he went to school with. Where's your Chinese pride?"  
  
I just shrugged, feeling ashamed of myself for not standing up for myself when I really should have. My father rose and walked over to the window that overlooked our garden. It was a peaceful place, if a bit small.  
  
"Is that all that happened at school?" he asked after a moment.  
  
"No... Something else happened..." I replied.  
  
"What happened, Matt?" My father asked.  
  
"I remember getting hit in the head by an eraser that one of those jerks threw and then I blacked out," I answered.  
  
My father merely nodded and I sat there, my head hanging, realizing that it was I who had killed those students. My parents seemed to be taking it quite well really.  
  
"Did you see red before you blacked out?" my father asked.  
  
I nodded.  
  
My father nodded in return, placed a hand on my shoulder, and spoke.  
  
"Congratulations, my son. You've gone through your First Change and none too soon too."  
  
"First Change...?" I asked.  
  
"Yes. A young werewolf enters his First Change around your age. It usually happens at a time of emotional stress that can't be contained any longer and he or she snaps. It is the first time you have ever changed into your Crinos, or full werewolf, form and it won't be the last. Usually you kill a few people in the process since you can't control it. I hope you didn't kill any of your friends or make them go insane but you will probably never see those friends again.  
  
"There are many Garou in the world, but we have something called The Veil that we use to keep out of 'existence' or rather, it is some sort of subconscious thing that humans have from the past. There are also many tribes, but the ones here in the west follow the Concordat. The tribe I am a part of does not. I'm of the Stargazer tribe and I would like you to be a part of the tribe," my father replied.  
  
My mother looked a little worried but not altogether concerned, almost as if I were going to be sent to summer camp.  
  
I sat there, a little bit shocked at all this information. Me? A Werewolf? It seemed rather improbable, or, more realistically, impossible. Werewolves don't exist. They're just fairy tale creatures that people made up to scare little children.  
  
I took a bite from my cereal and looked at my father.  
  
"I'm a werewolf?" I asked incredulously.  
  
"Yes, son. You are. Just as I am, you are a werewolf. Your mother has had the veil permanently lifted, making her Kinfolk and she does not suffer from the Delirium as other humans do. The Delirium is just a human mind trying to rationalize something that they believe doesn't exist."  
  
I sat a little while longer to let it all sink in. It was strange, but for some reason I believed my father. I knew he didn't lie. At least he never lied to me.  
  
"Alright, Father. I'll be a Stargazer," I answered.  
  
My father smiled and rose, patting me on the back. He got me to stand up and then led me to my room after grabbing a luggage bag. I was a little confused when he began packing a couple of my things but I soon realized that he was going to send me away.  
  
"Since you're going to be a Stargazer, you will need to go to China. There's a Shaolin Monastery that you can go to, I'll give you the location so you won't be as easily lost. Also, what the tribe is will be explained to you there as you are trained," my father began to explain to me.  
  
I just nodded, now being a little afraid  
  
"You're thirteen now and you'll be taught everything you'll need to know. It will be different than being in school, but you'll also learn Shaolin Kung Fu from them and you'll build up more confidence. It will be a rewarding experience for you; I know it was for me." He finished explaining at the same time he finished packing my bag. He handed it to me with three- hundred dollars to support myself in China as well as a one-way ticket to Hong Kong.  
  
I had to admit that I was a little bit excited. This trip would mean I wouldn't have to put up with those jerks in my class anymore and I would learn where I really came from. It was a very good thing that I knew Chinese and how to read it. I had been taught to speak and read Chinese by my grandparents.  
  
I packed for the next few hours, the ticket had been bought four months ago, my father obviously having expected this of me, and then we all went down to the airport; all as in me, my mother and my father. We said our good-byes and I left on a plane at about 9:45 pm. The flight was long and boring. I was alone there. I had a window seat and the seat next to me was empty. I contemplated what was being investigated the day before, why the police had been at the school in the first place. I knew it hadn't been because of me, so I put on the headphones the plane had at every seat and turned on the radio while the plane was still near Vancouver.  
  
Radio: "In other news, McKinley High School there had been a killing of 15 students in a classroom while the police were investigating someone who had his blood drained. Officials have not released information regarding either of the two killings but they did make some comments." The reporter announced then the background noises changed.  
  
"The killing of the students seemed to have been done by an animal of some sort, some of the students mentioned a bear that broke into the classroom, others say a giant wolf. The victim outside seems to have been drained of his blood and the only wounds were two small holes in the side of his neck." An officer commented then the obviousness of the shift from the officer back to reporter could be heard as the background noises changed.  
  
"In other news –"  
  
I clicked off the radio and stared out the window, thinking about it. I knew it was me who killed the fifteen students, but I also knew what had killed the man outside: a vampire. I just shrugged it off and let it go from my mind as I stared out the window of the plane.  
  
After a while, I pulled the tray table down and leaned on it since the seat was getting uncomfortable. I was glad my parents had bought me a first class ticket, the seat was made of some good material and was soft to sit on so the flight wasn't totally unpleasant.  
  
I changed flights somewhere in Europe; I didn't really pay attention where because I was only concerned about getting to Hong Kong. We lifted off again and flew for a few more hours until at last we landed in Hong Kong. I was excited to see the place.  
  
I left the plane and was amazed at all the hustle and bustle and the cultural difference from the Chinese Canadians to the authentic Chinese. It was astounding. What was perhaps the most amazing thing was that there were several people waiting for me in the confusion of the baggage check. That was, perhaps, the first time I've ever seen my name written in Mandarin.  
  
I made my way through the crowd, which was surprisingly simple because the Chinese are so courteous to each other, and met with the group. They were all Garou Stargazers, I discovered, and all here from the monastery I was supposed to go to.  
  
I stuck a hand in my pocket and remembered about the three hundred dollars my dad had given me and frowned. I wondered why he gave it to me since I was going straight off to the monastery and not wandering around the city for a while. I inwardly shrugged and then greeted the monks.  
  
"Hello." I said. I didn't feel like speaking Chinese at the time because I was still in shock from everything that's happened. I was very nervous about this as well.  
  
"Greetings, Matthew Cho. Your father called the monastery two hours ago saying you would arrive here about this time. We are honoured to be able to teach the son of a great Stargazer. Your father was an honoured one among us but he expects you to surpass him and be greater. We hope you live up to your father's expectations."  
  
I nodded, a little unsure about all this. The group began to leave the airport and so I hefted my bag of clothing and other miscellaneous goods and followed behind.  
  
Outside the airport a van awaited with another monk behind the wheel. I raised an eyebrow at this sight as it was rather odd. I, again, gave myself that mental shrug and climbed into the van and sat next to one of the monks. He wasn't much older than I was, perhaps fourteen or fifteen, but I decided it was better to keep my mouth shut until I learned the proper etiquette. It was a two hour trip out to the monastery and my butt was sore for sitting so long. Once everyone got out of the van, the eldest monk led me into the monastery and down a hall. I was surprised at the architecture of the place; it was intricate and graceful.  
  
We came to a stop in front a plain door.  
  
"This was your father's room while he stayed with us." The elder werewolf said to me.  
  
"I get my own, private room?" I was a little shocked about that. I had figured that monks usually bunked together, but apparently my father had his own room.  
  
The monk nodded.  
  
"Yes, and anything he left in there is yours now. It was the way he wished it and it shall be that way."  
  
I reached for the door knob and took hold of it. The cold metal was smooth against my hand as I turned it and slowly opened the door. I walked in and caught my breath.  
  
Inside or, more appropriately, outside, was a garden. It was probably the most beautiful sight I've ever seen. There were butterflies, cherry trees that were in full bloom, orchids, lilacs, tulips, and many other exotic breeds of flowers.  
  
"There's something your parents never told you. You're not even Chinese."  
  
I blinked.  
  
"Come again?" I stated.  
  
"You're not Chinese. You're Japanese. Our cultures may not like each other but you are a werewolf and a stargazer, as was your father. His people chased him out and so he came here to this monastery. Many of the students here are Japanese and Korean, even Mongolian. To us, the only culture that binds us together is the Garou culture. Your grandparents are Japanese as well, and they survived the war that our two peoples fought."  
  
All this time I was lied to, I couldn't believe it. I knew from the beginning that something about these monks was different. And now I knew why. I had been told I was Chinese all my life, the other students in my class back in my high school teased me and said I was Japanese, but I had no reason to believe them. I had reason to believe that what this monk was saying was true. He didn't seem the type of person to lie to another person.  
  
"So why would my father say I'm Chinese when I'm not?"  
  
"He feared that someone from his homeland would come and kill you. There were those in Japan that wished him dead along with all his kin. You are safe here in the monastery. Here we are a family." The old man replied.  
  
I made my way through the garden and came across a small structure with a slightly larger structure next to it. The smaller one was open to the air and had a small table with a shallow bowl and candles on it and a cushion for seating. The larger structure was closed off with a door for access. I peeked into that structure and found that it was merely a sleeping space. It had a small bed, a table next to it and a small wood stove. It looked rather pleasant.  
  
I turned back to the monk.  
  
"What is your name anyway?" I asked him  
  
"Fury-Of-The-Storm," he replied.  
  
Fury-Of-The-Storm, an interesting name. I suspected that it was a name given to him by other werewolves and guessed I would earn mine in time.  
  
"And from this day fourth, your name will be Biting-Wind. Your old name will only be used by humans. Your Garou name will be used when you introduce yourself to other werewolves. If you must know why we chose that name from you is because we have been watching you since your birth, the whole time hoping you would not be just another Kinfolk, or Garou human relative. We have seen how you grow cold when you become angry, you become silent, slow and purposeful, like a north wind that bites right through your clothing. We will train you and teach you to use your Rage and your spiritual energy to your advantage. We will also teach you to shift forms without much effort." Fury-Of-The-Storm explained.  
  
I nodded and looked to the sky.  
  
"Do you mind if I take a nap? Jet lag... I'm pretty tired too."  
  
Fury-Of-The-Storm nodded and smiled sympathetically. He patted my shoulder, turned and left the garden, closing the door behind him.  
  
I entered the little hut that was meant for sleeping, set my bag on the floor and sat on the bed. The bed was uncomfortable but not unbearable. I lay down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. I thought about why my father never even thought to mention, even in private, that we were really Japanese. I felt betrayed and it felt as if my father had sent me away because he didn't want me anymore. That thought made my heart ache. I growled to myself and flipped over, planting my face in the pillow.  
  
It was the first time in ten years I'd cried, I cried a lot.  
  
My own father, a werewolf and Japanese. He never told me any of that before and now it felt like he'd been lying to me my whole life. I had no reason to believe anything my father said was true. I didn't even believe werewolves existed, not until yesterday, but I still found it hard to believe.  
  
I must have cried myself to sleep because it wasn't long before I heard a small knock on the door to the hut. I pushed myself up so my face was out of the pillow and blinked a few times. Oddly, I felt refreshed after the sleep. It must have had something to do with how the bed was constructed. I shrugged off those thoughts and answered the door before whoever it was knocked again.  
  
"Yes?" I said as I opened the door.  
  
"Breakfast time, then your training will begin," said the monk at the door. He had a heavy Korean accent but I knew a Korean with just as heavy an accent so I didn't have any difficulty understanding the monk.  
  
"Alright," I replied, "I'll get dressed and be out in a minute." I closed the door, opened my bag and pulled out a pair of sweat pants and a loose T- shirt. I stepped out of the hut and smiled.  
  
"Lead the way." I motioned for the monk to lead me to wherever we were going.  
  
The monk led me down a hallway and to a large dining area. There were no walls or rather it was more of a porch than anything. I went to the serving table and blinked at the wide variety of foods there. I took a tray and all the bowls and plates I knew my family used and a pair of chopsticks. I went down the table, taking small amounts of foods from what I knew well. I noticed that the foods I took were all Japanese cuisine. All this time I thought it was Chinese. I shook my head, feeling an anger swell up inside me, an anger directed at my father that was now thousands of kilometers away. I quelled the feeling and picked a spot to sit. The table was empty and away from the other monks. I felt so alone so far away from the people I knew. I prodded at my food for a while, taking a bite here or there once in a while but my appetite was diminished.  
  
Then I heard a voice. It was probably the most beautiful voice I've heard and it belonged to the female that stood before me.  
  
"Mind if I sit here?" she asked. She was not really beautiful per se, but she was definitely very pretty in an average sort of way.  
  
I just shrugged.  
  
"If you want to..." I wasn't really in the mood to care if she wanted to sit there.  
  
"My name is Free-Spirit. What's yours?" She asked as she sat down.  
  
"Matt—Biting-Wind..." I replied. I didn't really think about it much, I just picked at my food.  
  
"You look a little dejected. And it's obvious you haven't been here long. You haven't even gotten your robes yet. Might I ask what's wrong?" She seemed genuinely concerned but at that point, I didn't really trust anything anyone said.  
  
"I don't really want to talk about it." I said.  
  
"Alright."  
  
I went back to prodding my food and occasionally taking a bite of the rice or having some of the miso soup. After a couple minutes of silence, I set my chopsticks down and looked at Free-Spirit.  
  
"Is there something you wanted?" I stated, not really watching how I said it but it wasn't long before I suddenly regretted how I said it. She looked at me and she looked a little hurt by how I spoke to her.  
  
"I just thought that you could use someone to talk to. You didn't need to be so rude." She got up and lifted her tray.  
  
"Wait... I'm sorry. I'm just taking all this change rather badly... My father lying to me, finding out I'm Japanese and I'm a werewolf to boot..." I shrugged and sighed, "I'm really sorry I snapped at you like that, I didn't mean to."  
  
She sat back down and smiled at me.  
  
"Apology accepted. I know I was the same way. I felt betrayed by my parents when I found out I was Garou. They sent me away because I took it so badly and they didn't want me anymore. My mother was a Glass Walker, one of the tribes in the Concordat. They follow too strict of rules in it, one reason I came here to be a Stargazer."  
  
I nodded and pushed my tray aside. Once I did so, a bell toned and I looked about. Everyone was getting up and leaving, another monk or rather the cook, began clearing the tables, whistling to himself and not seeming to care that there was a mess left.  
  
"Where is everyone going?" I asked Free-Spirit.  
  
"To the training grounds, there will be a chalkboard with names on it, yours will be up there next to whoever is training you," she replied.  
  
I blinked a couple times but followed her to the training ground. When we got to the training grounds, I stopped just out of the door. The grounds were about a kilometer square; the best guess I could make at the size. There were about a hundred other monks of varying age, all of which were of oriental decent. The sky was beginning to be painted hues of oranges and purples; it was the beginning of dusk. I must have spent a lot of time sleeping and eating because I wasn't aware of the time while I was in the dining area. I shrugged to myself and made my way over to a chalkboard that was on a wheeled stand and looked over the names, looking for my own. It listed off each name and then a word next to each name; I didn't understand what the words meant.  
  
"You're with me, Biting-Wind," a familiar voice said behind me. I turned and blinked at Free-Spirit.  
  
"What do all those other words mean, like Cliath and the like?" I asked, pointing at the chalkboard.  
  
"That is your rank. You are a new werewolf so you are ranked as a Cliath. You are not renowned enough to be of a higher rank."  
  
"Oh... You're an elder?" I asked, having seen "elder" next to her name.  
  
"Yes. I'm of the fifth rank, most new Cliath get assigned to me, but I think it'll be an honour to teach the son of Raging-River. He was quite renowned and even managed to gain the sixth rank. But seeing as he retired to live in peace with his family and raise a son, you, to take his place, his rank has been reduced back to Cliath; because he has been gone and long forgotten by most since he retired."  
  
I nodded and looked to the field.  
  
"Can we begin my training? I want to take my mind off of my father."  
  
"Of course. First thing I will teach you is to use your primal urges to control your form." She began as she let me out into the field, "Your overall endurance and stamina will also determine how easily you can shift, but you can use your Rage, or your supernatural anger, as a fuel for shifting forms. If you do, you can shift to any form with ease, but you need to be careful about that because you could enter a frenzy; and if you are deep enough into a frenzy, you may go into the Thrall of the Wyrm."  
  
I nodded, understanding most of it. Free-Spirit began to untie her belt on her robes and once done that she stripped off her outfit and stood naked. I averted my gaze rather quickly, but couldn't help but make a few glances.  
  
"Why did you get naked?"  
  
"I didn't want to shred my clothes, I just got them clean." She smiled at me and then her face contorted in pain as her body rippled and grew.  
  
Her muscle mass increased, she grew to be about nine feet tall and became a humanoid wolf. She growled and grunted a little.  
  
"Now you try," she growled out.  
  
I nodded, removed my clothes and concentrated a little bit on shifting forms. It wasn't hard to do really, but it did hurt. I could feel my body changing rapidly and old tissues of my human form shredding and growing. Once done, I looked about, grunting in a language I instinctively knew.  
  
"This is not that bad. What language is this I speak?"  
  
"That is the Garou tongue, Biting-Wind." She replied in Garou.  
  
I gave a wolfish smile and shifted back to my human form. It was easy and painless to shift to my human form and I blinked. Free-Spirit shifted back to her human form as well.  
  
"Your breed form, which is Homid, is the easiest form to go to for you since it is your natural one. You are a homid werewolf, and we have precious few lupus werewolves left. Now that you have figured out shifting forms, we will begin your martial arts training. I will leave the discovery of your three other forms to you. Two of them are more difficult to shift to than your other forms, but they are still possible. The form shifting is for you to figure out on your own time, but not now as it is almost bed time."  
  
I looked to the sky and noticed it was getting dark.  
  
"It's only dusk. I suppose monks need a lot of rest. I will head to bed, but tomorrow I want to learn more about the Garou and more about my heritage."  
  
Free-Spirit merely nodded and put her clothes back on. After she finished, she went inside and I was left outside alone. I slowly put my clothes back on and stood in the cool night air, staring into the sky and at the stars. The moon was full and I could feel the beast within trying to escape, but I was strong enough to quell the urges. The stars were beautiful in the evening, but for some reason, they seemed all wrong to me. I just shook off the feeling and headed inside and went to my room.  
  
Little did I know I wouldn't receive my full training and I would be forced to grow up all too soon... 


End file.
